I think it is very interesting that the Lansing school district has all but eliminated their ESL programs. There used to be the CLCCA, Center for Language and Communication Arts, where many student were English language learners as well as refugees and immigrants into this country. The CLCCA offered ESL programs as well as languages that English speaking students could learn (French, Spanish, and Arabic). This was an elementary school and it was a wonderful idea with a great forward thinking principal. Unfortunately it no longer exists and the ESL classrooms I have come across pale in comparison. The room that I substitute taught in was a nightmare. There had to have been twenty students in the room ( it was a resource room by name (from the district) but the teacher called the class an ESL class) and there were at least 15 countries being represented. Some could talk to one another (a few students were speaking Arabic and a few were speaking what I beleive was Hmong or Thai) but the student teacher in the room could not communcate with them and to my knowledge the teacher had difficulty communicating with them as well. These students were also of all different age groups so they did not really have a community in each other (students ranged from k to 6th or 7th grade).
I know this may sound a little unrelated but my question is: How do we teach in these ESL or resource room settings when we have not been taught the language in question or how to understand the differing cultures?
I understand the idea of scaffolding and I think in all cases it is a perfect UDL tool. All students would benefit from scaffolding whether or not they need the help (it wouldn't hurt anyone). However in Chapter 1 Gibbons is talking about a communication centered approach to teaching. She says that the modern models support Vygotsky's idea of the socio-cultural theory, which says that human development is intrinsically social rather than individualistic. She says "it is all in the company you keep." This is where my trouble really begins because if I cannot speak the language of my student and I don't know their culture then how will I adapt my teaching to suit them. I think it is not only that the students have to learn English but that we as teachers must be willing to learn the languages and cultural differences of our students. But certainly this would take time, years probably, in which case your students would already have moved on.
MSU has eliminated its ESL degree and other than taking the language that your students speak as a minor, it is practically impossible to fit language into your curriculum as a college student (especially as a special education major which is what I am). I just feel that unless you know the language it is going to be impossible to teach a student that you cannot connect with or have this communication centered approach. Language and communication is how you build a classroom community and an atmosphere where students feel they can open up to you; if you cannot understand them and they cannot understand you, how do you break down the barrier?
I know this question is basically unanswerable because it is based on my perspective and experiences but I think that it would be interesting to see what others think about not knowing the language and still using a communcation centered approach.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Tina, I didn't realize that the Lansing School District has eliminated so many ESL programs! In the school that I am placed at, there is an ESL teacher that comes and pulls the ELL students out of their classrooms in her office, where she does extensive training with them to better their English. I completely understand where you're coming from and am sorry to hear about your awful subbing experience. I feel that in the case of the classroom that you had subbed in, that is the school's fault at not properly splitting the kids up. I have learned thus far in my study of ESL that children need to be included with English-speaking students and broken up for full exposure of the language. This betters their opportunity to pick up on gestures, behavior and words through mockery. Hopefully when we become teachers, the schools will have these children split up so the teacher can prepare to address their needs and accomodate their cultures into her lesson(s).
ReplyDeleteLike you said Tina, there is no good answer to the question you posed. However, I know there are options that can help in the communication process of learners that speak a language other than English. I'm not quite sure how Lansing or Michigan in general works, but I do know that in Chicago and other cities within the Chicago land area, schools are offering classes to their teachers that will allow them to more effectively communicate with students and parents alike. We often forget that although some students are able to speak and understand English, their parents may have trouble communicating with us. Knowing this, these classes offer techniques and insight on the basics of communicating other languages rather than knowing the actual rules and form of the language. So granted one will not know the exact or correct way to write a sentence, they will know the fundamentals of the language and be able to communicate and relay messages about the students ability and progress in the classroom as well as any concerns one may have as a teacher. I know this is not a full proof solution to the problem, but it is an option that could help if utilized in the right way.
ReplyDelete